Victory Day

Alina Rudnitskaya's documentary focuses on the challenges faced by six LGBT Moscow couples living in a Russian society that is increasingly hostile to the concept of gay rights. The couples are interviewed in their claustrophobic apartments against the backdrop of the annual Victory Day WWII celebrations that fill Moscow's streets with military parade festivities. Each couple speaks briefly about how they met, followed by detailed descriptions of the difficulties they contend with, both in maintaining their individual identities and in the maintenance of their relationships. One woman speaks of losing her job due to homophobic attitudes, while a male couple recall being harassed on the subway after kissing in public. The 2013 legislation forbidding “propaganda” that supports “non-traditional sexual relations among minors” is repeatedly cited as fueling homophobic attitudes, and the film includes footage of an LGBT rally that is broken up by a violent mob. While the film cannot plumb the full spectrum of each couple's experiences in a mere half-hour, it does offer a compelling overview of the courage exhibited by ordinary people in the face of intolerance. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)